How do you properly clean a motorcycle helmet?

I'm taking the beginner MSF course. My Mother in law gave me her helmet to use. (She fell off her bike the one day and broke her wrist and hasn't rode since) It smells a little musty inside. What's best thing to use to clean it? Please bear in mind that once I actually start riding, I'm going to upgrade my equipment to a new helmet. Just wondering how to clean this one.

Luckily the helmet did not touch the ground when she had her accident. She merely landed on her side and used her hand to stop herself. (resuting in her wrist breaking.. she actually had her fall during the MSF course training). Thanks for all the advice.

If you can remove the padding, washing it will be much easier, but it can be done inside the helmet.
Wash the padding with a light detergent, well diluted. Rub it in well. Then rinse with clean water. Repeat this until soap does not appear. Then the important step...
Mix some clean water with just a little white distilled vinegar (it won't take much), and rinse again.
Pat dry with a towel or a paper towel.
The vinegar smell is very fresh, and will fade quickly, but the musty smell will be gone.
Enjoy the safety course, and happy riding!

There are foaming products that, after spraying and leaving, lift off dirt, they take a little while to dry and sometimes two applications are necessary.

http://www.pocketmotouk.com/shop/index.p...

A good visor cleaner is also worth getting.

http://www.pocketmotouk.com/shop/index.p...

The point about not taking a secondhand helmet, even one whose history you know, is not just unnoticed damage, but that, in order for it to work, it must fit if it doesn't your head will not be fully protected.

if that helmet came in contact with the ground when she fell throw it away and buy a brand new helmet.

Most people do not know this but if you drop a helmet as much as 4 ft you make it unsafe and less crash resistant.

Some helmets are made so that the inside is removable and you can just throw it in the washing machine.

If not, just a little Febreze will fix it up.

If it is a fairly new helmet than you can just take out the pads and wash them how the tag tells you to but an old one just needs to be sprayed with fabric cleaner.

take out the pads inside and wash them on the delicate cycle of your washer or hand wash them, leave them out in the sun to dry

spray it with lysol..i do that everytime i put mine away